Coproca Lot 1214, Nyamasheke District, Rwanda | Natural FSC-8444

The Coproca Washing Station is located in the Western Province of Rwanda, within the Nyamasheke District, in the Kanjongo Sector. It is privately owned by C. Dorman Rwanda. The coffee is cultivated by 603 small-holding farmers , with an average altitude for the catchment area ranging from 1830 to 1950 meters above sea level. The average cherry production is 800-900 MT per year. Processing and Quality Control The processing method for this coffee is a natural process. Only the best cherries from identified farmers are received at the CWS and undergo proper sorting to remove defects. The cherries are floated in a tank to remove floaters, and only the high-density red cherries are kept. The drying process takes place on flat tables with close-knit wire mesh and shade nets. Cherries are turned every 30-40 minutes and are heaped in the middle of the table during peak sunshine to prevent cell damage from excessive heat. This process takes between 35 and 40 days to reach the desired moisture content of 11.5%. Community and Environmental Initiatives C. Dorman Coproca is involved in providing inputs like fertilizers and pesticides to its farmers in partnership with NAEB. The CWS has created 80 new jobs for the surrounding community during the processing period and has sponsored farmer field schools on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). A coffee nursery of around 50,000 seedlings is being prepared for free distribution to farmers to help sustain future production. The CWS is certified with RFA (Rainforest Alliance) and C.A.F.E Practices. Through its certification programs, C. Dorman Coproca has renovated Ruheru primary and nursery school and trained farmers on ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, water conservation, integrated crop management, and integrated waste management. A project is in progress to establish a nursery of 30,000 coffee seedlings and 5,000 shade tree seedlings for farmers.